smg

As far as your mother is concerned, she is most likely just scared. I'm sure it's coming from a good place and not a matter of "to support or not support". My hunch is that even if you are overweight she may not "see it that way" BECAUSE you are her child. If YOU believe that it's the right thing for you and your DOC feels it's the right thing for you, then that's all of the support you need. Support is a great thing, and once you do it, support will be there by those closest to you and if it's not, you'll have to separate yourself from those people. The thing is, it has to be a "you" decision. YOU have to do this for YOURSELF. Sure the sleeve helps, but you NEED to have the motivation and will to see it through and make sure you stay with it moving forward. Just like the lap-band, there will come a time where the "restriction" you feel in the beginning is not as much. You need to use the time that you have it wisely and make sure you develop good eating habits and exercise habits during that time-frame. There are groups you can join if you need to talk or need support outside of your family/friends. Support is great when it's there, but you have to be prepared and motivated to do it without support if needed, because at the end of the day, this for YOU.

It was 5 days post-op for me...and it was sporadic until I could get enough water/liquids in. Once I started to CONSISTENTLY get in enough liquids AND proteins, things got better. Once you're back on solid food, EAT A LOT OF VEGGIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really helps.

Everyone heals differently, for sure, but I think most of us probably experienced similar symptoms at one point or another during our recovery. I would first remind you to keep in mind that you very recently had MAJOR surgery. It's common to experience nausea for some time following ANY surgery, and especially one that just removed most of your stomach Zofran or something similar is typically issued upon release because nausea is a very common ailment following this (or any) surgery. Typically it's not a symptom of a larger problem, but again, this was major surgery and should be treated that way. If you are not feeling well, then you should, by all means, either contact your surgeon/team or go to the ER. It's easy for those of us who have had the issues sit back and say don't worry it's normal, but what we experience isn't always the same as what you experience, even if the symptoms are the same. Better to be safe than sorry. As far as the depression is concerned, this is something that you should UNDOUBTEDLY speak with your surgeon/team about. They will most likely have recommendations for either a specialist or support group that can offer you help in this area. Bottom line. It's probably nothing...just typical recovery symptoms, but again, I wouldn't be the one to decide that. You have a surgeon and team at your disposal (provided you got your surgery fairly close to home), I would use it. If you don't/can't see your surgeon, see a GP. If you can't do that, go to the ER. There are a million and one reasons you could have these symptoms. Most likely it's not enough water and/or protein, but it could also be irritation or just normal recovery. Better to know for sure is my opinion...if for no other reason than peace-of-mind. Once you know what the problem is, correcting it will be much easier. Best of luck!

It's possible that it could be thirst, like @Newme17 said, and that would be the easiest thing to rule out. Try drinking water when you want to graze and see if that satisfies the craving. If not, it could just be old habits rearing their ugly head again, unconsciously. One thing that I noticed is that after close to a year out, you become less "aware" of what you are doing. For some time after surgery you are hyper-aware of everything you eat, drink or even think of eating, but as time goes on that hyper-awareness begins to subside, even if only a little, and I think that sometimes that "opens the door" for bad habits to start showing themselves again, since most of us probably had those bad habits for a lot longer than we've had our new good habits. For me, grazing is not something I try to avoid. Instead I make sure I only graze with the right foods. Keep prepared snacks on hand like fruit and veggies and you can graze on them all day without any feeling of guilt. A handful of nuts once a day is a good idea and easy to do. I also make sure I have lean protein sources on hand and ready to go like chicken. Fighting the grazing itself is a tough battle, if you've done it for a long time. God bless you if you can win that fight, but for me, the answer was just making sure the foods I was grazing on were the right ones! Best of luck!

"Hey Siri / Ok Google / Alexa".... "Remind me at INSERT_TIME_HERE every day to take my vitamins" - problem solved

Sashimi was one of my favorite sources of protein when I was first back on solid foods. I stay away from rice completely, but still have sashimi quite often. Most of the sushi "rolls" typically have some sugar component in the the sauces in addition to the rice so you need to watch for that as it will most likely be astray from your post-op diet provided by your surgeon/NUT.

At that point I was just trying to get in some satisfying calories that would help with my protein also...so cheese was involved. I don't eat it much now, but at that stage, I ate the Ricotta bake recipe a lot and also fat-free refried beans with low-fat cheese. They were both staples for me. Best of luck! Just keep in mind that once you're back on solid food, you'll want to pay much closer attention to the calories you consume and make sure they are nutritious and actually feeding your body. You'll have limited calorie intake so you definitely want them to count!

Well, I would certainly suggest reaching out to your NUT and/or surgeon as they may have specific things to eat and/or not eat during that phase based on your specific progress/situation, but there is a recipe section on this forum that is separated out by phase and there are some good recipes for the soft food phase. The ricotta bake saved me during this phase.... You should be able to find recipes for the phase you're on here --> http://www.bariatricpal.com/forum/1052-recipe-sharing/

No, it wasn't. When I quoted you is when it was about "your advice" because I didn't agree with it and felt compelled to point out why. Again, it's a FORUM. That's the point. People have differing opinions. Surely you understand that.

I'm certainly not trying to be pushy. You offered your opinion in response to a question and so did I. Mine just happens to be different than yours. It's a forum, and not everyone's going to agree with you or with me. There's no need to get defensive...

It's not our job, that's true. But when you're questioned about your success (and you will be), giving them "advice" that's just plain false is a complete disservice to the people you're speaking to. If you're giving information such as nutritional tips and advice based on facts you learned throughout the process without actually revealing your surgery, then great....but telling someone you're on a fad diet when you're not is not advice I would give to anyone. Remember, there are others in the position now that you were before surgery. Some feel lost, some feel defeated. Is it "your job" to help them? Of course not. But if you can help them, then why not try.....that's my underlying point. To clarify, the journey is a personal one...and though we all have our opinions on what's best, they are just that...opinions. We think they're best because they were best for us individually, and you have to decide what's best for you. My only point was to not be swayed by perceived negativity surrounding WLS.

Ype as @orionburn said it's completely normal when you're body is in a ketogenic state. I took a toothbrush with me everywhere...and mouthwash...lol. I use the breath-strips and they seem to work well. Careful with some mints like altoids and others that have sugar/sweeteners in them. While 1 or 2 now and again aren't bad, when you're purposely depriving yourself of sweet things, they can actually start to satisfy a craving, which will cause you to overeat them....

I'm shocked to hear a psychologist give that advice. I would understand if they said if was your decision, and here are some of the pros and cons of it, but to outright tell you be secretive about it is just plain bad advice IMO, regardless of whether of it worked for you or not. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that it did work for you, and it was certainly YOUR decision to make, however, a "professional" that's of the opinion that you should hide and/or lie about what you've done because of the negativity surrounding it, is ONLY ADDING TO THE NEGATIVITY!!!!! In the end, as I said, the decision is yours. If you're more comfortable keeping it a secret, then by all means do that, but don't feel as though you have to...because you don't.

Initially, only my wife knew, but, once you start to lose a lot of weight in a relatively short amount of time people will (1) notice and (2) ask questions or ask for advice. I really don't feel as though I'm helping anyone asking me for advice if I tell them I'm simply doing a fad diet. I'm not big on lying, and certainly not when it's going to send someone else down the (most likely) wrong path....so I decided to own it, wear it on my sleeve, and educate anyone who asks. There's a cloud of negativity surrounding weight loss surgery, as though we've somehow "taken the easy way out", which couldn't be further from the truth. So I use it as a platform to help others who may have questions or concerns about wls in hopes that it can perhaps help others as it has helped me. That being said, I don't wear a giant sign on my back that says I had surgery, but those closest to me who ask get the absolute truth. I also believe when people around you know, it will motivate you more to succeed. If you're telling people that you're on a fad diet, then failing isn't "a bad thing" in their eyes. In fact, it's probably expected as it is with most other fad diets, and so you might be tempted more easily to eat things that you otherwise wouldn't if you are motivated to succeed. This isn't always the case with people who "hide it", but it's certainly something to consider. In the end, it has to be your decision and you need to do what you're comfortable doing, but the longer we hide behind the fact that we've had surgery, the longer it will take for public acceptance, not to mention that when you're "hiding" it, you're limiting your resources in terms of recipes, information, etc. It's nice to not be afraid to pull my phone out in public and look at this site or search for bariatric recipes without fear someone will see me.

3 days post-op this could still be from the tubes that were in your throat and/or lingering effects of anesthesia and pain meds. Either way, it's not a bad thing to keep drinking throughout the day like you are. Sip sip sip....walk walk walk!! Best of luck!

The best thing I did was get a good quality juicer and started juicing vegetables. I usually add a couple of apples or pears, or a lemon and some ginger for taste. It would be hard for me to eat a pound of greens, 10 carrots, a head of celery and 2-3 cucumbers in a day, but I can drink them no problem. It's one of those things that you can do and immediately feel the difference through increased energy, better sleep, more focus, etc. Personally, I like the "slower" juicers as they seem to do a better job at the greens. I use vegetables (and a few fruits) in juices I would otherwise most likely never use. Some of what I use or have used in juices are: Carrots (including green tops) Celery Beets (including green tops) Radishes Peppers (sweet and hot) Cucumbers Zucchini Yellow Squash Butternut Squash Tomato Spinach Kale Collard Greens Chard Romaine Parsley Cilantro Dandelion Ginger Root Turmeric Root Lemons Limes Sweet Potato Apples Pears Cabbage Wheatgrass Asparagus Broccoli Arugula Bok Choy Mustard Greens Basil Watercress All of these are extreme sources of water as well....and not just "normal old water" but structured water. H3O2 rather than H2O, but not the "bought and purchased" structured water...actual structured water. This is what feeds you. You can experiment and find combinations that you like. Sure it takes some prep work, but I find that part very relaxing, and the end result is an amazing beverage that actually feeds you while it hydrates you. Best of luck!

Every surgeon and/or NUT has embraced a different plan. Some are more strict than others. It's always best to consider this when choosing a surgeon and ultimately committing to his or her plan.

Regardless of what you wanted, it's out now. Embrace it. Holding a grudge will only add negativity to what sounds like an otherwise positive experience so far. Be proud!

Everyone's rate of weight loss is going to be different. As long as the scale is moving in the right direction, you're accomplishing what you've set out to do. The advice I was given was to take on healthy habits, and the weight will come, but don't make that the focus. Make the focus eating the right foods (nutritious whole foods, eliminate processed foods), embracing an exercise routine, and once you get into those good habits, the rest will take care of itself. Once you have it down to a routine, you can then make small tweaks to your eating plan and/or exercise plans to see if they increase/decrease your rate of loss....but I wouldn't focus solely in on how fast that you are losing, and embrace the fact that you ARE losing. Best of luck

I've never taken the multivitamin patches, but I use the Vitamin B patches daily and my numbers have always been good. In fact, I notice it when I forget for a day or two to put a patch on. Some of the B vitamins are a bit different than others though as the concept of absorbing them through the skin is not new. There have been Vitamin B lotions for a long time. Can't speak to the multivitamins though as I take Opurity for those. Interesting read. Even more interesting that both sides are making claims without science to back them up. I do tend to agree with the argument that the burden of proof lies on the vitamin company making the claim though....guess we'll see how it unfolds.

I know that there are many differing opinions/advice on this, and in the end you have to do what's right for your personal situation. My NUT and surgeon both have no problems with caffeine from coffee or tea, but from day 1 have been adamant about not having soda or energy drinks... I will tell you that caffeine hit me a lot harder after the surgery than it ever did before. I believe that's because it's going through your system and into your body much faster, but that's a personal experience, and I'm sure everyone's is different. Best of luck!

Then as soon as you saw the "totally off topic" in the title, you should have just moved on....no need to waste your time. You made the choice to click into the topic. The OP placed it in the wrong forum, but that's a mistake, not a reason to hang them out to dry...

As far as the impact on your surgery, that would be a question best asked of your surgeon/NUT, but as a person who also is the sole provider of food for their children (and wife) and knows what it's like to be tempted by "their" food while you're drinking "your" food, I can assure you that it's a good idea to use this time as a starting point to make a true commitment to changing things. You will have to be strong and avoid certain foods after your surgery, some because they can cause you harm (right after surgery) and some because they contribute to the complete opposite of what you're trying to accomplish with the surgery. The best advice I got was from my NUT. She said to get in the mindset of wanting to be healthier, and get out of the mindset of wanting to lose weight. The two go hand-in-hand in most cases and achieving one will result in the other. Try to look at food as a way to feed your body. You will be severely limited in calorie intake fresh out of surgery, so you'll want to choose foods that will help you achieve your daily protein goals, hydration goals, and offer maximum nutrition per calorie. It takes some dedication and patience, but you'll get there if you want it bad enough... Best of luck!

Hey @palinne, sorry to hear about your troubles, but happy to hear you've dealt with them and are ready to back on track. That's the biggest hurdle, truthfully. Where to start is a pretty personal decision, and I would say to look back at what worked for you after your surgery initially. For me, I eat a whole foods based diet and try to stay away from anything and everything processed. I don't count calories, carbs or anything like that. It works for me. It was hard to break from the processed foods in the beginning, but once in a rhythm, it became second nature after a while. The key for me was to have meals frozen and ready to go for those days where it's just too crazy to cook from scratch. I normally make large batches of things to have on hand for those crazy days, or to freeze and have again down the road. I always have grilled chicken, veggies cut and washed, fresh fruit, and hard-boiled eggs around for quick snacks. Best of luck!

With an attitude like that, I'll open the door for you Edit: Every single question you've asked (started topics) have been responded to. Some many times, so the "...never get any responses..." is just not true.